1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for sheltering and entertaining house pets, and more particularly, to a pet shelter formed of stackable elements that may be nested together into a compact assembly when not in use.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Cats, and many other house pets, often desire to rest within confined places. Perhaps such confined places provide a sense of security to such animals. On the other hand, cats, as well as other house pets, often enjoy climbing and exploring as a form of exercise and entertainment. Cats in particular seem to enjoy passing through confined openings, while pressing their bodies against the edges of such openings, simulating the scratching of their fur.
Structures that provide enclosed spaces for pets, and which also allow a pet to climb from ground level to one or more upper levels are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,807 to Reich discloses a “cat condominium” which, when assembled, forms a multiple-level shelter for cats. When not in use, the “cat condominium” can be disassembled into a flattened shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,366 to Cook discloses a cat entertainment box housing an enclosed space with openings formed therein for allowing a cat to hide inside while allowing a cat to enter into, or exit from, the box, either through a side opening or a top opening. While a cat may climb onto the top of the box, there is no “second floor” for the cat to hide within.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,119 to Beymer discloses a cat structure including a hollow base along with components for forming a sleeping/play area supported above the hollow base. The components used to form the sleeping/play area may be disassembled and stored within the hollow base unit when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,264 to Guard discloses a stackable pet shelter, wherein a first such pet shelter may be used to form a base, and a second such pet shelter may be stacked upon the top of the first pet shelter. Similarly, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0036986 to Callari discloses a modular pet house wherein modules may be stacked one upon the other.
Designs for other pet structures, wherein two or more components are stacked upon one another, are shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. D563,604 to Pacana, et al.; in U.S. Design Pat. No. D524,994 to Hamm; U.S. Design Pat. No. D604,016 to Langston; and U.S. Design Pat. No. D611,204 to Slater.
While some of the pet shelters mentioned above can be disassembled without much effort, the components each take up a significant amount of room. When storing such components, a significant amount of storage space is required. In addition, when transporting such components, the pet owner must carry two or more components from place to place, often requiring more than one trip.
Others of the pet shelters mentioned above take longer to disassemble and re-assemble, but collapse into a more compact structure to facilitate transport or storage.
However, none of the pet shelters described above provides a pet shelter that provides multiple levels of enclosures, is easy to assemble and disassemble, and which is also easy to transport and store.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pet shelter formed of stackable components that can be easily assembled to form a stable structure having two or more levels for being occupied by a pet.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a pet shelter which may be easily disassembled into a compact assembly no larger than its largest component.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a pet shelter which, when disassembled, may be easily transported by a pet owner.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a pet shelter which may be stored as a relatively compact structure when not in use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a pet shelter having component parts that may be manufactured easily and inexpensively.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a pet shelter wherein a pet owner can easily create additional openings within the included components, if desired.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide such a pet shelter which may be configured by a pet owner to be of varying height and varying number of levels.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art as the description of the present invention proceeds.